Latin Kings' man seeks to overturn conviction in NJ Supreme Court

Times File PhotoIn the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Darlene Pereksts, Angel Hernandez, convicted of the gang killing of Jeri Lynn "Nena" Dotson, a queen in the Latin Kings gang, casts a glance toward Dotson's family and friends after he received a life sentence for the Aug. 31, 2004

TRENTON – The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of a Latin Kings gang member seeking to overturn his murder conviction in the 2004 execution of Latin “Queen” Jeri Lyn Dotson.

Angel “Ace” Hernandez, 25, of Trenton is serving a life sentence for shooting the 23-year-old mom to death in her Chestnut Avenue home.

In appealing his 2007 conviction, Hernandez argues that the trial judge unfairly denied jurors the chance to find him guilty of a lesser charge.

Hernandez argues that jurors should have been given an option on the verdict sheet to find him guilty of manslaughter based on the defense’s argument that he pulled the trigger under duress.

An appellate court denied that appeal in 2010, ruling that the trial judge correctly instructed the jury that if Hernandez was found not guilty of murder because he had shot her under duress, he would automatically be found guilty of manslaughter.

Although the jury verdict sheet did not reiterate that legal principle, and was admittedly “not a model of clarity,” it was not wrong or misleading, the appellate panel found.

Hernandez appealed that decision to the state’s highest court, which yesterday announced it would hear his case.

Assistant Prosecutor Dorothy Hersh, who handled the appeal for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

It is the policy of the state Office of the Public Defender, which is representing Hernandez, not to comment on appeals.

Hernandez killed Dotson with a single gunshot to the head under the orders of Latin Kings leader Jose “Boom Bat” Negrete because Dotson had witnessed several Latin Kings members take fellow gang member Alex Ruiz from her home in what was to have been his execution.

Ruiz survived the attempted hit, and Hernandez was also convicted of attempted murder in the near-strangulation of Ruiz.

Negrete, whose first trial ended in a hung jury, was found guilty of murder and attempted murder in 2009. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison for Dotson’s murder and the attempted murder of Ruiz.